Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to casino card games and particularly to a method of playing a criss cross poker casino card game with an additional middle bet and an optional five card bonus using the same board cards as the criss cross poker game without altering the play of the criss cross poker casino card game.
Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Gamblers enjoy side betting in games to double the opportunity of winning and just to have another opportunity to gamble. But there is also a need to preserve the integrity of the game being played to maintain the original unadulterated use of cards and play so that the original card game is not altered by the optional side betting game and that players can play the original casino card game without the optional side betting if they choose. Prior art casino card games related to criss cross poker, which provide a number of community cards dealt face down on a playing table to be combined with cards dealt to each player often provide two possible five card poker hands comprised of two different sets of community cards in combination with a players dealt cards. But none of the prior art games provide an optional extra side bet on the community cards themselves forming a winning hand. Prior art casino card games based on a criss cross type of configuration generally provide betting opportunities on player cards combined with one or the other of two different sets of community cards, but not the option of a third bet on both sets of community cards combined with the player cards that pays if either of the two combinations provide a winning hand.
Poker games played against other players and/or against a dealer hand add a level of difficulty and human judgment which complicates winning rather than just winning on the value of the cards themselves against a payout table. The payout table game provides a faster game and more certainty on the part of the player that a hand will pay off, even if the player lacks competitive play skill, and also does not depend upon how good or how bad the hands of the other players or the dealer may be.
U.S. Patent Application #US20120149451, published Jun. 14, 2012 by Nicely et al, discloses a gaming device which provides a single player poker game including one or more opportunities for forming player hands. In one embodiment, for a play of the poker game, a player places a wager on each of a plurality of player hands. The gaming device provides the player with one or more opportunities to fold one or more of the player hands and withdraw the wager associated with the folded hand. A number of community cards are dealt. The gaining device determines and provides any awards associated with a ranking of each of the remaining player hands according to a paytable.
U.S. Patent #62/048,267, issued Apr. 11, 2000 to Wichinsky, indicates a multiple hand stud poker game wherein a player wagers on one or multiple hands and using a single standard fifty-two card deck of playing cards. Three cards are dealt face up to each of the player hands. Two cards are then dealt—one face up and one face down—to be used as cards that can be selected by the player for use in the player's hand. The player selects either the face up card or the face down card. The selected card is added to the player's first hand and is displayed face up. The unselected card is then discarded. Two more cards are dealt—one card face up and one card face down. The player again selects either the face up card or the face down card. The selected card is added to the player's second hand and is displayed face up with the unselected card being discarded. Two more cards are dealt—one card face up and one card face down. The player again selects either the face up card or the face down card. The selected card is added to the player's third hand and is displayed face up with the unselected card being discarded. The same procedure is used to add a fifth card to each of the player's hands. This results in the player having three complete five card hands. The amount won by the player is based on the amount wagered by the player and the poker ranking of the player's hand based on a payout schedule.
U.S. Patent #6/042,118 issued to Poitra, describes a method of playing a poker-type game wherein the game provides the players an opportunity to increase the amount wagered based upon two of three community cards shown. After each player places a bet, two cards are dealt face down to each player and three cards are dealt face down to the dealer that are “community cards”. The dealer then turns over two of the three community cards so that they are facing up. Each player has the opportunity to “double-down”. The dealer then turns over the remaining community card and then turns over each player's two cards. The bets are resolved by using the three community cards in combination with each player's two cards based upon a predetermined plurality of winning card combinations similar to poker. The card deck is a standard 52 card deck with one joker to make a 53 card deck. The joker is utilized only in certain combinations as a ‘wild card.
U.S. Patent Applications #US20050242506, published Nov. 3, 2005 and #US20120225706, published Sep. 6, 2012 both Mississippi Stud variations by Yoseloff, claim a card game played against a pay table, Wherein the player receives a partial hand that is preferably completed by community cards (but may be completed by cards dealt directly to a hand or a combination of cards dealt directly to a hand and at least one community card or Wild card). After placement of an Ante Wager, each player Will have an opportunity to place a game Wager before receiving another card for the player's hand (Whether dealt directly to the player or as a community card revealed to all players). At least some or all game Wagers may be an amount within a range of multiples of the player (such as 1×, 2×, 3× 4× or 5× the amount of the Ante Wager). The range of Wagers may remain the same or vary with the number of dealt cards or community card revealed to the players.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,489,101 and 5,531,448, issued to Moody, describe poker games in which a player attempts to form a five card poker hand that has the highest poker hand ranking. In the house banked version, all players play against the house and not against each other. The game is played with a standard fifty-two card deck. The game is played by a dealer and from one to seven players. Each player makes a bet and a portion of each bet may be allocated to a progressive jackpot. The dealer deals five cards to each player. The dealer then deals six cards as the community cards which are arranged face down in three rows in a triangle pattern on the gaming table layout. The players may discard from none to five unwanted cards. The dealer turns up the community cards and pre-designated groups of cards from the community cards are used for each player to make a complete five card poker hand. The dealer determines the best hand each player has made according to poker hand rankings. All winning hands will be paid by the dealer according to the odds listed in the pay table. When the progressive jackpot payout is used, the dealer examines the six community cards to determine if one of the predetermined card arrangements has occurred. Any winning payouts from the progressive jackpot are distributed to the players at the table. The method may also be played as a player banked game or as a pot game. In one version of the present invention, the dealer deals three cards to each player. The dealer then deals eight cards as the community cards which are arranged in groups or pairs of two cards each on the gaming table layout. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the card layout is in the format of a directional compass with a pair of cards each at the North position, East position. South position and West position, respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,993, issued to Merlino, describes a method of playing a poker-type wagering game on top of a table layout having first and second player locations, a plurality of betting areas associated with each of the player locations and a community card area. The method includes a first player placing a wager on top of each of the betting areas associated with the first player location. A second player places a wager on top of each of the betting areas associated with the second player location. Each player receives two playing cards. A number of community cards are dealt face down in the community card area in a predetermined pattern. The number of community cards corresponds to the number of betting areas in one of the player locations. The faces of community cards are exposed in succession. Each time a community card is exposed, each of the players can either fold wherein the folding player loses a number of wagers which corresponds to the number of community cards exposed or the players can leave all of the wagers on the corresponding betting areas until all of community cards are exposed. Once all of the community cards are exposed, each of the players combines his or her pair of cards with three of the community cards to form a completed stud poker hand. The player with the highest ranking hand wins all of the wagers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,529, issued to de Keller, describes a poker game played on a blackjack style table with a single dealer. The player opening the betting is rotated for each game. The game is played with chips/counters of various denominations. At the start of each game all players place a bet of equal value in their respective pots. Players then place Bet 1 (the maximum and minimum value thereof being determined by the house) and each player is dealt two cards (this number may vary), face-down, and the dealer receives three cards (this number may vary) one face-up and two face-down. The three dealer's cards are community cards, referred to as the ‘flop’ and complete each player's hand. The players, at this stage know the identity of three cards and each player has the option of discarding their first or second card, or both, face down. Replacements, face-down, are received for discards. Players may at this stage, either ‘stand’ by making no further bets or ‘raise’ by wagering on Bet 2. The Bet 2 wager must be exactly equal in value to the amount wagered on Bet 1. When all wagers have been placed on Bet 2 the fourth card is revealed by the dealer. Players may again either stand at this stage or raise by wagering on Bet 3. Players are not permitted to make a third bet if they have not placed the second. The Bet 3 wager must be exactly equal in value to the amount wagered on Bet 1. When all third bets have been placed the dealer turns up the fifth card. Each player reveals his/her cards and provided they show a winning hand on the list of poker rankings hands are paid according to the total stake placed at the corresponding pay-offs/odds. The player with the highest poker hand is awarded all the Pot bets; in the event of players holding identical hands the Pot is shared. No matter how many cards constitute community cards or how many cards are dealt to each player, the players select five cards to make up their hands. There is no variation in wagering allowed, and competition includes wagers against the pot.
What is needed is a method of playing a criss cross poker casino card game combined with an additional middle card bet and an optional five card poker bonus bet wherein a player competes solely against posted payout tables and the additional and optional bets use the same cards as the criss cross poker casino card game without interfering with the regular play of the criss cross poker casino card game.